Attorney General Jack
Conway and his Office of Consumer Protection today announced that the owner of
the now-closed USA Baby in Louisville, Ky., has pleaded guilty to five counts
of theft by deception over $500, a Class D felony. Lisa Marie Burden, 44,
entered the plea this morning in Jefferson Circuit Court. Burden was
sentenced to two years in prison, which will be diverted for three years.
She was also ordered to repay a total of $6,300 to the victims.

While operating USA
Baby, Burden took payments from customers on baby furniture she was ordering
for them through her business. She then shut the business down and
refused to refund the money. Burden advised customers who paid by credit
card to file for a refund through their banks; however, five customers who paid
by check or debit card were unable to obtain a refund.

“My investigators
immediately began reviewing this case after receiving complaints from several
consumers who realized they were being taken advantage of when USA Baby
abruptly shut down and locked its doors,” General Conway said. “My Office of
Consumer Protection works tirelessly keeping consumers safe from unfair and
unethical business practices, and I am pleased that we were able to recover
restitution for each of the victims.”

For additional
information on General Conway’s Office of Consumer Protection or to file a
consumer protection complaint, call the Consumer Protection Hotline at
1-888-432-9257 or visit http://www.ag.ky.gov/consumer.